Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 July 2026:
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) will hold the First Continental Conference on Catholic Education in Africa from 6 to 8 August 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme: “Strengthening Catholic Education for Integral Human Development in Africa”.
The Conference will bring together more than 100 participants, including bishops responsible for education, Catholic universities, national Catholic education commissions, religious congregations, education experts, researchers and partners.
Convened in response to the mandate of the 20th SECAM Plenary Assembly held in Kigali, Rwanda, in July 2025, the Conference aims to strengthen continental collaboration and provide strategic direction for Catholic education as a catalyst for evangelisation, integral human development and sustainable social transformation across Africa and its Islands.
The programme will feature keynote addresses, expert panel discussions, thematic working groups and plenary sessions focused on key priorities for Catholic education.
Discussions will address Catholic identity, leadership and governance, educator formation, financial sustainability, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, Catholic universities and research, safeguarding, environmental stewardship and innovative responses to emerging educational challenges.
A major outcome of the Conference will be the development of a 2026-2031 Continental Roadmap for Catholic Education, providing strategic priorities and practical recommendations to guide Catholic educational institutions across the continent.
Participants will also advance discussions on establishing the SECAM Education Commission, envisioned as a permanent continental structure to coordinate Catholic education initiatives in Africa.
